Rail & Coach News Page 2
Construction begins on controversial HS2 project
Boris Johnson said the service would “fire up economic growth and help to rebalance opportunity”. He endorsed the rail link in February, with formal government approval granted in April.
Chapman appointed director of Heathrow Express
Sophie Chapman has worked at Govia as an independent consultant and completed a successful 22-year career with Eurostar, rising to head of on-board services.
South Western Railway unveils new Arterio fleet
Unveiled by SWR managing director, Mark Hopwood, during a special event at Wimbledon depot, the name Arterio reflects the importance of the network to the capital.
Cooper steps down as Eurostar chief executive
Eurostar chief executive Mike Cooper has confirmed he will step down from the role to take over as leader of European passenger transport operator Arriva. He will take up the new post in October.
Omio secures fresh funding to fuel expansion
Omio has secured US$100 million in investments from existing and new investors including Temasek, Kinnevik, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, NEA and Kleiner Perkins.
Heathrow Express drops peak travel restrictions
Peak and off-peak ticket restrictions will be lifted from September 6th, meaning customers with single tickets, including those bought before September, can travel at any time of day.
Etihad offers new travel options with expanded AccesRail deal
The partnership allows customers to book train and coach tickets in Europe in conjunction with their air fare using the airline’s online booking platform, or through their travel agency.
Eurail passes go digital in Italy
Several years in the making, the tech initiative will ultimately create a centralised distribution system for Eurail passes, negating the need for paper tickets.
South Western Railway to retire Isle of Wight fleet
South Western Railway is looking for new homes for its soon to be retired Island Line fleet. The five Class 483 trains, built in 1938 for the London Underground, have been serving the Isle of Wight since 1989.
Rocky Mountaineer scraps whole of 2020 season
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and continued government travel and health restrictions, Rocky Mountaineer will suspend the remainder of its 2020 travel season. This will include all departures through to October 11th.
Eurostar to launch direct Amsterdam services
For these services to operate, existing agreements between the UK, France and Belgium signed in 1993 have been modified to include the Netherlands.
Trainline launches social distancing function to UK travellers
Trainline has launched a nationwide beta-test of Crowd Alerts, a crowdsourced feature in its app to help customers alert their fellow travellers if it is not possible to social distance on a specific train.